How brief pre-task breaks shape mood and cognitive performance: Comparing physical activity, conversation, and smartphone use

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined how brief rest periods during work or study influence subsequent psychological states and task performance; comparing three rest conditions: light physical activity, conversation, and smartphone use. Methods: Psychological states and cognitive task performance were assessed before and after brief rest periods involving light physical activity, conversation, or smartphone use. Results: The physical activity and conversation conditions led to improvements in mood pleasantness and maintained psychological arousal. In contrast, the smartphone condition produced no change in mood pleasantness and was associated with reduced psychological arousal. Subjective fatigue decreased in post-rest only in the conversation condition, remained unchanged in the physical activity condition, and increased in the smartphone condition. Regarding cognitive task performance, improvements were observed only in the physical activity condition under relatively low-demand task conditions, whereas a tendency toward decreased performance was observed in the conversation condition, and no significant changes were found in the smartphone condition. Conclusion: These findings suggest that light physical activity and conversation are effective strategies for regulating psychological states during brief rest periods. Specifically, both activities support mood recovery, while conversation additionally contributes to fatigue reduction. From a cognitive performance perspective, light physical activity appears particularly effective; however, its benefits may vary depending on task difficulty, task characteristics, and the specific nature of the activity performed. In contrast, smartphone use did not improve mood or reduce fatigue and was associated with decreased arousal, suggesting that it may be a less effective recovery strategy in work and study contexts. Overall, these results highlight the importance of selecting active, socially or physically engaging rest strategies rather than passive smartphone use to optimize both psychological well-being and cognitive performance during brief breaks.